I
t’s damn-near impossible not to imagine
James Bond when irst clapping eyes
on a new Aston Martin.
It’s one of those things that can’t be helped
as you stride toward the driver’s seat, feeling
all 007-esque as you picture pulling off
top-secret missions in exotic locales – even
when your daily duties consist of the least
super-spy things imaginable.
But if the sinuous ‘DBS’ is the Daniel Craig
of the Aston leet, this all-new ‘Vantage’ is an
unashamed blast from the Pierce Brosnan
past; those heady and implausible days of
invisibility cloaks and Madonna cameos.
For one, it looks absolutely unhinged, as if it’s
been built using nothing but diamond-cutting
lasers and focused aggression. The creases that
run the length of the body are sharp enough to
shave Sean Connery’s chest while the ‘predator
mouth’ (the Porsche ‘911’, says Aston, is the
prey) is perched just above the road surface -
snarling and intimidating anything in its path.
If it looks potent from the outside, it’s even
angrier from the driver’s seat. This is, after all,
the fastest-accelerating car the brand’s ever
produced. A new partnership with Mercedes
has given Aston access to the German’s lethal
twin-turbo V8 for the $299,950 ‘Vantage’.It’s a monster of an engine - iring 375kW
and 685Nm toward the rear tyres via an
eight-speed automatic. It’s also mounted as
far back as Aston’s engineers dared, giving a
claimed (and perfect) 50:50 weight distribution.
That’s not the only international
collaboration for the ‘Vantage’. While the
styling’s all Aston, the electrical architecture
is also from Mercedes, the handling’s been
perfected by former Lotus engineers and the
aerodynamics shaped by former Ferrari folk.
Also new is an electronic rear differential- the irst ever for an Aston Martin – along
with adaptive dampers that cycle through
‘Sport’, ‘Sport Plus’ and ‘Track’ settings. The
platform is a lightweight bonded aluminium,
helping keep the weight down to just 1530kg.
Push the start button and the quad-tipped
exhausts boom into life. It’s so loud, in fact, that
Aston had to install a ‘quiet-start’ function, so
as not to rouse the neighbours (and their
neighbours, for that matter).
It’s that glorious exhaust, combined with
this endless low of torque from the borrowed
V8 that makes the ‘Vantage’ so laugh-out-
loud fun. While some supercars feel cold and
clinical in their endless pursuit of record-
breaking lap times, the ‘Vantage’ is
overlowing with personality, the exhaust
constantly roaring, the rear tyres twitching
with every prod of the accelerator.
Super-clever turbocharging means there’s
a heap of power available right across the rev
range. And the zero-to-100km/h sprint takes
just 3.6 seconds with the ‘Vantage’ pushing
on to an impressive 314km/h.
Switch the steering to its sportiest setting,
and the car attacks corners with conident
precision, the engine battling the grippy rear
tyres for supremacy. Unless you’re being really
silly, the tyres win out, gluing the Aston to its
line as you feed on more and more power.
Let the red mist subside and you’ll also ind
the ‘Vantage’ a surprisingly comfortable daily
driver, too. The two-seat cabin is spacious
enough and the suspension won’t shake the
hair from your head on dodgy everyday roads.
Downsides? In trafic, that thumping engine
can feel like it’s straining to break free, surging
forward should you so much as breathe on the
accelerator, and that front end will scrape
anything higher than a dropped postage stamp.
Still, they are but minor annoyances for
a car that marks a stunning return to form
for Aston Martin – and one that feels more
Bond-worthy than ever. AUGUST 2018 GQ.COM.AU 83